Gun holding tray



July 4, 1967 F. A. PACHMAYR GUN HOLD ING TRAY Filed Jan. 19, 1965 [N (EN r02.

MK 14. FQCHMHYQ United States Patent 3,329,278 GUN HOLDING TRAY Frank A. Pachmayr, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Pachmayr Gun Works, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 426,512 7 Claims. (Cl. 211-64) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to gun (pistol or revolver) holding trays of the type employing a succession of upstanding relatively rnoveable members which receive and clamp the gun barrels between them. Whereas in the past the holding members have been accommodated and confined for straight sliding movement together and apart with essentially fixed verticality, the present invention aims toward achievement of more secure clamping of the gun barrels by accommodating the clamping members for relative swaying or rocking motion so that the upper extents of adjacent members converge against the gun barrels in their clamping action.

This invention has to do with improvements in gunholding trays of the type used to accommodate and retain a plurality of pistols or revolvers in a carrying case which may also contain various additional shooting accessories or supplies.

Such trays have been made in the past to receive successive reversely positioned guns with their barrels more or less frictionally engaged with supporting means carried by the tray. However any gripping effect upon the guns has been insecure, and the guns have been subject to displacement in the course of handling the carrying case.

My primary object is to provide an improved tray structure in which'I have embodied means not only for receiving and orienting the guns in proper order, but also to clamp their barrels securely and against displacement by any expectable handlings of the carrying case.

For this purpose the tray is provided with a series of members extending across the tray in spaced relation to receive between them the gun barrels. Such members are given the capacity for relative movement and are associated with means operable to force the gun engaging portions of the members from relatively spread and gun receiving positions, tightly together to clamp the barrels between them.

Heretofore in gun holding trays of this type, the barrel receiving the retaining members have been forced together as by a bolt passing through the members intermediate their ends and in a manner such that forced engagement of the members against the gun barrels results in forcing together the lower ends of the holding members. The latter, being essentially straight sided, thus tend to spread relatively apart at their upper ends and thus assume a degree of divergence conducive to release of their hold on the gun barrels so that even though the sides of the members may be recessed, looseness in the barrel retention, particularly as a result of tray vibration or impact, may develop to the extent of causing release of one or more of the gun barrels.

My primary object is to provide for reversal in relative tightening movement of the barrel gripping portions of the holding members, in that as the members are forced together, opposed faces of their upper extents are caused to swing or rock together and thus more tightly secure the barrels against loosening or withdrawal. Generally, this result is accomplished by so mounting or relating the lower portions of the members below the bolt that as 3 ,329,278 Patented July 4, 1967 the latter is tightened, the members in effect pivot or rock about means productive of that effect and located below the bolt, thus causing the gripping extents above the bolt to swing or rock together.

The invention will be further understood fromthe following detailed description of certain illustrative embodiments shown by the accompanying drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a view showing the gun supporting tray contained in a carrying case;

FIG. 2 is a cross section on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrative of the rocking motion together of the holding elements;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section illustrative of a variational embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a further variational embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the supporting tray assembly generally indicated at 10 is shown to be contained within a carrying case 11 having a closure 12 which may be swung upwardly to the FIG. 1 position about its hinge 13 to permit open access to the tray 10 for its insertion or removal on the supporting shelf 14..

The invention is directed to the assemblage 10 which is shown to comprise an essentially flat bottom tray 15 having upstanding sides 16, and a series of gun-supporting and retaining members generally indicated at 17, extending transversely and centrally across the tray. The series 17 comprises a plurality of intermediate upstanding supporting members 18 and end members 19 and 20, the bottom of each of which is retained within an undercut way 21 which accommodates the members for relative movement together or apart, as will appear. The way 21 is formed by a pair of parallel guides 22 having internally projecting flanges 23 received within notches 24- in the sides of the members, see FIG. 4. 7

Referring to FIG. 3, the lower extents of the adjacent sides of the members 18, 19 and 20 have spacings at 25, above which the spacings are enlarged at 26 to accommodate the bottom turns of the later described covering strip. Above the spaces 26 the opposed sides of the members are recessed at 27 to receive and retain the barrels 28 of the guns 29 which, as shown in FIG. 1, are reversely positioned between the successive members with the gun handles resting on the tray. If desired, the specific configurations of the recesses at 27 may be varied to accommodate different guns, or guns having different barrel structures' The spacing at 31 between the members and above their recessed sides in the clamped condition of the gun barrels, will be less than the barrel diameters so that the guns will remain tightly held against possible displacement during all normal handlings of the case 11.

The gun barrels are protected against scarring in their clamped engagement between the holding members, by extending about and adhering to the top and recessed side surfaces of the members, a continuous flexible strip of felt or equivalent protective material 32, the strip being shown to extend from the outer faces of the end members 19 and 20 about and between the members, and downwardly at 32a within the spaces 26 in the nature of short loops which permit relative displacement of the members within way 21 without disturbing the continuity and adherence of the protective strip to the surfaces of the retaining members.

Provision is made for forcing the members relatively together in tight clamping engagement with the gun barrels, by extending through the members below the spaces 26, a bolt 33 having its head in the form of a turned end 34 seated within a recess in member 20, the opposite threaded end of the bolt carrying a manually operable nut 35 which bears against member 19 to force all the members relatively together as the nut is tightened. As will be understood, the latitude given the members for movement in the way 21, permits removal of the barrels through the spacings at 31 upon loosening of the nut 35.

The present invention is primarily concerned with the capacity given the holding members 18, 19 and 20 for forced movement of their opposed barrel gripping sides at 27 in response to tightening of the nut 35. According to one embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, I provide interengaging projections 37 upon opposed faces of the holding members Within the way 21. Such projections may consist of the rounded metallic heads of shanks driven or threaded into the sides of the members with the heads alined for centered rocking interengagement. As the nut 35 is tightened the forced interengagement of projections 37 rocks together the upper portions of the holding members as in the condition illustrated by FIG. 3. The projections of heads 37 may be varied by providing them with shanks 37a threaded and therefore adjustable within the holding members.

Instead of utilizing projections 37 to produce such rocking movement, I may employ the FIG. illustration of pins 38 extending within the guides 22 and opposed faces of the holding members, or an equivalent pivoted relation may be accomplished by driving nails 39 through the sides 22 and into holding members as shown in FIG. 6.

As will be understood, in all instances, the bottom portions of the holding members will have sufficient clearances at 40 to permit necessary ranges of rocking or pivotal movements for the holding members.

It is to be understood that the drawings are to be regarded as illustrative of the invention and that various modifications may be made in particular regard to specific means productive of the holding member rocking movements, without departure of the invention in its intended spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising,

(A) a gun holding tray,

(B) a series of upstanding spaced members extending transversely of the tray and having upper extents adapted to receive between them the barrels of pistols and revolvers.

(C) means retaining the lower ends of said members so 4 that said upper extents of adjacent members are swingable together and apart,

(D) means for releasably forcing the upper portions of said members and extending through the members with clearances therefrom to allow said swinging of the members relatively together to clamp the gun barrels between them, and

(E) means below said forcing means (D) whereby said upper portions of the members having swinging motion relatively together in response to actuation of said forcing means.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said retaining means (C) comprises means forming a transverse guide way within which said mmebers are held against upward removal but have clearances to allow their swinging movements, said means (E) being within said guide way.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said means (E) comprise interengaging projections on opposite side surfaces of the members.

4. The combination of claim 3, in which said projections have curved metallic surfaces.

5. The combination of claim 2, in which said means (E) comprise means pivotally associating said members with said guide way forming means.

6. The combination of claim 1, in which said forcing means (D) comprises a bolt passing through said members with clearances therefrom and having a turned end seated in a recess in one of the members at an end of said series.

7. The combination of claim 1, in which said means (E) comprise interengaging means adjustable to project variably from opposite side surfaces of the members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,982 6/1938 Pugsley 20616 2,250,732 7/1941 Svendsen 248-68 2,740,530 4/1956 Ponder 211-64 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM T. DIXSON, ]R., Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, (A) A GUN HOLDING TRAY, (B) A SERIES OF UPSTANDING SPACED MEMBERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE TRAY AND HAVING UPPER EXTENTS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BETWEEN THEM THE BARRELS OF PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS. (C) MEANS RETAINING THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS SO THAT SAID UPPER EXTENTS OF ADJACENT MEMBERS ARE SWINGABLE TOGETHER AND APART, (D) MEANS FOR RELEASABLY FORCING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBERS AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE MEMBERS WITH CLEARANCES THEREFROM TO ALLOW SAID SWINGING OF THE MEMBERS RELATIVELY TOGETHER TO CLAMP THE GUN BARRELS BETWEEN THEM, AND (E) MEANS BELOW SAID FORCING MEANS (D) WHEREBY SAID UPPER PORTIONS OF THE MEMBERS HAVING SWINGING MOTION RELATIVELY TOGETHER IN RESPONSE TO ACTUATION OF SAID FORCING MEANS. 